Which IT Certifications for Specific IT Jobs? 380
outlander78 asks: "There have been several questions posted recently (Landing a job, College or Career? to list a few) discussing education and job searching. I have just completed a BSc Computer Science, and have 2 years of co-op experience. This is apparently not enough, as I have yet to get a single interview, despite many carefully written letters and resume submissions to job postings. I read here that a degree with certifications was a good combination, so now I need to know - which certifications are best for job seekers? Whether I work as programmer, sys admin or something else isn't an issue, since I need any job at this point, and enjoy most computer-related jobs - please, suggest whatever certifications you are hiring for or were hired because of."
It's sad, but true. (Score:2, Informative)
If you want to know what certs will really help you, get your CCNA, the new Cisco cert that covers voice over IP, some project planning cert, and maybe pursue your Six Sigma belts if you're in the high level industry.
Hope this helped.
Re:It's a buyers market right now ... (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, with Cisco, there is a clear asset for an employer to have an CCIE in the workforce. Currently, Cisco alters pricing based on the number of CCIE's working for a company (In the case of telco's and other big players with large contracts, at least). So if you are into telecommunications sector, CCIE is a nice thing to have if you are applying for a job in a firm that has lot of Cisco equipment and support contracts.
(Correct me if I'm wrong - as I have understood it, this was the situation at least six months ago)
Re:We dont need no stinking Certs (Score:3, Informative)
I'd recommend at the least a BS in CS, oh, and wear a clean shirt, minimal face piercings, tasteful haircut, use of mouthwash and leaving your ego at the door for any interviews. It is a buyers market and that means you've got to be on your best behavior, since you can bet others will go so far as to wear a tie to get the job. 1999 was like last century, ok?
It All Comes Down To $$$... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:It's a buyers market right now ... (Score:2, Informative)
I would disagree with both points, the CCNP and CCIE are still very valuable, while the NP doesn't guarentee 6 figure slaries it should open some doors that would otherwise remain closed. As far a cyclical goes I got my NT4 MCSE at the trailing edge of that cycle (8 months before it was officially retired) and while I will have to upgrade to 2k once the the economy starts up/I get laid off I think that it helped a ton.
Look at What I Did (Score:5, Informative)
Most of the calls I took the pros on the other end were less knowledgable than me on many subjects. I was so sick of doing it that I started sending out resumes to those companies. NO LUCK. They didn't care if I knew more or had more certs. They didn't even want to see me.
I went out and started up a small business in my neighborhood about a year ago, just fixing computers and doing home networking. That got my foot in the door. I went on the street hawking my wares to small offices, law offices, insurance agents, real estate offices and so forth.
Word got around and I got a couple of support contracts with med-sized businesses doing sys admin on their boxes. Real simple stuff that anyone could do. It's called comparative advantage. Now I've got a couple of contracts, and I'm negotiating a contract with a local general contractor to pull cable for new construction at 2500 a house. I have a pager and a cell and I make my own hours.
By the way--I'm 25 with 2yrs of college education. Comp Sci is not my major, nor ever was. But this helps with school a lot, and I have a family to feed. The only certs I have are A+ and my CCNA. I don't plan on doing this beyond graduation, but it's always a handy thing to have on your resume.
One last warning and advice. Warning. Insure yourself for about 1,000,000 per claim: the more certs and education you have, the cheaper insurance is. I pay about 2000/yr on prof. liability. Advice, join a professional association. You can network a lot and land tons of gigs. It worked for me.
Setting yourself apart from the masses (Score:5, Informative)
"the most talented student will always have options."
Right now, the market is tight for programmers. This is no longer the field that anyone can get a degree in and automatically make 60K+ out of school. So, if you just got the degree because it was the hot thing to do, then your screwed.
If you really have a passion for computers though, then you will find that the market is still there. You just need to seperate yourself from everyone else. Forget certifications, that shows little self-direction, instead why don't you spend that effort developing a piece of open source software.
Write a piece of useful software that showcases your skills. Given the ability most folks have right out of college, this will definitely show that your worth hiring.
Or, if you can, take some time to really strengthen your skills. Companies are always hiring *good* programmers, regardless of the economy. Taking 6 months to study all the industry bibles (the GoF book, the Myers books, etc.) and learn the stuff that is actually useful in the real world. Do this instead of putzing around for 6 months looking at getting certs or drinking every night and you'll land a good job.
Certs not the answer (Score:5, Informative)
As much as it sucks, certs aren't the answer. Speaking with a hea dhunter recently he did say companies care much more about certs now than they did a year ago - but that is because they can. There is a fairly large, experienced pool of talent out there.
Getting certs, however, is a very expensive proposition for osmeone currently unemployed. A typical test can now cost aroun $500, so accumulating a list of certs is not really an option.
Deciding WHAT you want to do is the first step. You might consider doing anything if the opportunity comes along, but in terms of getting certs you need ot focus more (unless you have more moneyt than you know what to do with, in which case why do you need a job so bad?). This means, yes, making a decision about your future. Youare free ot change it down the line, but you do have to choose - sysadmin/netadmin, development, dba, etc
After you figure what you want get experience doing it. The portfolio is becoming a tool of the unemployed developer. Showing first rate code that you have written, along with unit tests, use cases/user stories, UML diagrams etc make syou look better. Really, if you have littl eprofessional experience it is the best thing you can do to look good for a "walk in" interview.
Choose the direction you would like to steer and start a project, or get in on a starting project. Don't dive into an established open-source project. They might appreciate the help, but your goal here is to have somethign to show that YOU can claim 100% credit for. Comntributing bug fixes to gcc won't do that for you, though it might feel good.
The seoncd thing is become involved in the local development community. You might laugh, but this is possible. Hit Yahoo Group [yahoo.com] and search for any group in your area related for what you are doing. Make an emeail account that can accumulate spam, and sign up. Talk to people. Networking (people, not CCNA) is still the best way to find a job, period.
Only then, consider getting a cert or two. The ones I have seen being respected are the Sun Java developer certs (okay, JCP is sorta laughable, but the larger ones get nods), Cisco certs are respected, and Oracle certs are respected. Certs are no substitute for experience, unfortunately. Human resources may not realize this, but the hiring manager will.
FInally, find someone who IS a professional developer, who has undergone many code reviews, who knows how the system works in a decent shop and ask if they will review your code and designs. Buy them beer, coffee, crack, whatever it takes. When it comes down to the decision - your skill will determine your success. THis includes skill in talking the talk - and the only way to do that correctly is to really learn it. Most good developers are willing to help new people, it is flattering. There are various systems to try to make this easier via the net. In my experience these are not nearly as good as meeting someone via the aforementioned networking and offering to buy them a beer in exchange for picking their brain. While buying em a beer, slip in that you would really like if they could do somehting like a formal code review of your stuff - afterall, it is the only way to really improve.
Finally, read lots of code. Figure out how it works. Look at systems and make sur eyou understand em. A *great*, though boring as hell, way to do this is to write API docs for good projects. Do not contribute directly to them yet - your time is better spent building things you can claim redit for. Let's say you are into Java development, run by the Apache project and submit improved API docs. No one likes writing em, but to do it well you NEED to understand what the code does.
That, and know that you have my sympathies. The hiring market sucks right now.
-Frums
There are 2 stages to being hired (Score:3, Informative)
So if it says "wants 5 yr experience with C", well, if you don't have '5 years experience with C' listed on your resume, you won't get forwarded on. Even if your name is Richie and you list '10 yrs C++' becuas you wanted to focus on recent accomplishments.
It's only after getting past HR (and perhaps a PHB
Certs are only useful for the HR stage, but that's a killer cutoff. I've recommended folks for jobs I wrote the spec for, only to have HR bump them because they were missing a buzzword.
Good luck! List everything, be concise
Good entry level cert for sysadmins (Score:4, Informative)
Unlike vendor/product certifications, this cert is designed to assess your ability to perform in an IT role -- namely, systems administrator -- rather than your ability to memorize features and functions of a particular product. It tests troubleshooting skill, background knowledge of process and procedure, and general junior-to-mid-level sysadmin proficiency, both in general and specific to Unix (they're working on a Windows module and several other, higher-level "merit badge" modules).
Re:Ability to solve problems (Score:2, Informative)
Re:It's a buyers market right now ... (Score:5, Informative)
Only 2 places in North America to take it, RTP in N. Carolina, and I believe in San Jose.
I appreciate your respect for the program, but:
As of the Worldwide CCIE Presence: [cisco.com]
Total of Worldwide CCIEs: 7598*
As of April 30, 2002
As for North American sites, you're right. Cisco is closing the Halifax, NS, Canada [cisco.com] Lab
Re:Linux Certs (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Tired Refrain (Score:2, Informative)
A friend of mine is insisting that if he becomes a CCIE he will have offers pour in. We keep telling him that he is wasting his time on this endevour and just needs to get back to work with the rest of us and stop being part of the Certified Unemployable.
Now you can't bash all "certified" people. There are some of us out there that are certified and can show you the paper to prove it. We just don't push it out there when we first meet, that IMO is the mark of the true tech.
Resume Checking (Score:3, Informative)
If you don't have any friends involved in the hiring process who can take a look at your resume and cover letter, at least have some of your more verbally able classmates go over them. Your college's career center may also be of help.
Yours truly,
Jeffrey Boulier
You're focusing on the wrong thing (Score:2, Informative)
find a small company that doesn't have an in-house IT guy/department. if you live close to a large city, manufacturing plants are about your best bet. now, this part is important: walk in and present them with your resume. don't just mail it. explain to them that you have the skills and that you want to apply them. offer to be their IT guy, whether it be full or part time. explain to them why an in-house IT guy is better to have than outsourcing it (better system design, more homogenous setup, not having to call outside for help, etc.). most plants will be open to this. offer to do it for a low salary (yeah, it's not what you think you're worth, but it's better than what you're making now). use that as your jumping off point when you move onto your next job.
i did that when i was 16, and it's what helped me get to my current job. trust me, if you can swallow your pride, it will work.
it's not in the papers, it's in the people (Score:2, Informative)
Comment: Perhaps one thing you overlooked is contacting all those companies you did coop with? At any rate, you seem to me like a technicaly-capable guy, but are obviously lacking human skills (no offense meant).
Anyhow, papers (CS degree or certification, they're the same, really) may or may not mean anything to an employer, depending on where you apply and who you talk to.
This being said, I will refute what other people in this thread have said about employers wanting to see that you can think for yourself. Know who you are talking to! If your upcoming boss is the kind of introverted geek who has even less faith in his technical skills than in his womanizing skills, anyone that seems to know anything that he doesn't know will be percieved as competition and immediately shelved! Insecure bosses hire dramaticaly lesser drones for fear of competition, it's a fact.